Eight became big leaguers with Padres in '13

One of eight Padres to make their major league debuts in 2013, second baseman Jedd Gyorko, right, bangs forearms with Nick Hundley after hitting a run in what's become a remarkable rookie season. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
— AP

One of eight Padres to make their major league debuts in 2013, second baseman Jedd Gyorko, right, bangs forearms with Nick Hundley after hitting a run in what's become a remarkable rookie season. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
/ AP

Jedd Gyorko made his major league debut on Opening Day. Almost 161 playing days and nights later, he appears ready to stick around, to say the least.

With his 21st homer on Wednesday night, Gyorko has 55 runs batted in, putting himself in position to become the first rookie second baseman since 1920 to lead his team in RBI. He could also become the only Padres rookie since Nate Colbert in the inaugural season of 1969 to lead the Padres in RBI.

Over the course of six months, Gyorko has gone from from a mere rookie with an unusual name and a new position to a Rookie of the Year candidate, playing so often and so well that people simply stopped thinking of him as a rookie anymore.

“Opening Day wasn’t that long ago, because to me, the season’s gone by pretty fast,” said Gyorko,. “You don’t forget the excitement of getting an opportunity you’ve waited for for quite a while. For it to finally happen …”

The best part? The very best part?

“Just going out there and playing on a big league field every night, not taking it for granted,” said Gyorko. “Just think of how many millions of people dream of being able to step out onto that field for just one night or one day. We get to step out there every day.

“That’s our job. That’s pretty cool.”

Over the course of those same six months, Gyorko has seen the major league debuts of seven Padres teammates.

A half-dozen of them – pitchers Robbie Erlin, Burch Smith and Colt Hynes, first baseman Tommy Medica and catcher Chris Robinson – are with the Padres as they wrap up their home schedule on Thursday. The only other Padres rookie to have gotten his first taste of major-league ball this season is outfielder Jaff Decker, who was with the parent club for a short time and wasn’t among the September call-ups.

Three of the aforementioned hit home runs Wednesday night. Almost freakishly, three of the rookies homered for their first major league hits. On Wednesday night, Robinson added his home run to those of Decker and Medica, the latter of whom also went deep in the Padres' lopsided win Wednesday.

The home finale marks the ninth start of the season for Erlin, though he’s actually on his fourth stint with the Padres this year. He and Smith both have made strong enough early impressions to already figure into the competition for spots in next year’s rotation.

“It’s still a little bit new,” said Erlin. “But there’s a lot of veteran presences in the clubhouse, extremely professional guys, and that’s helped. Seeing how they go through their business, their routines, I just try to emulate them.”

Medica, though a September call-up, has stepped into a rare situation where he’s started almost every day since.

“Playing in ballparks where you grew up watching games, playing against guys you grew up watching, that’s a pretty cool thing,” said Medica, whose whomer against the Diamondbacks was his third. “The step up from the minor leagues to the big leagues is nothing you can duplicate.”

To be sure, none of the Padres rookies can have quite the same level of appreciation for major-league status as Robinson. Twenty-nine years old, he’s with his fourth organization, all as a minor-leaguer.

As of Sept. 4, however, Robinson's a major league player.

“You spend some time in the minor leagues as long as I have, you hear the stories about the major leagues, how magnified it is,” said Robinson. “Obviously, these are the best players in the world up here, but it’s the same game. You just have to adapt to it.”

Robinson said the really big deal was getting his first at bat out of the way. Pinch-hitting in the bottom of the ninth of a home game against the San Francisco Giants, Robinson grounded out to shortstop.

“I didn’t think I was nervous, but apparently I was,” said Robinson. “I felt great in the box, but as I started running to first, I barely stood on my feet coming out of the box.

“I told people it’s a good thing I’m Canadian and know how to skate, because I felt like I was on ice there. I thought, “Do not fall down on your first run to first.’ “

For the record, the eight Padres making their major league debut this season was only halfway to the franchise record. In 2002, no fewer than 16 rookies were introduced to the majors with the Padres.